noun
- Small arthropods of the class Pauropoda, resembling centipedes but with fewer legs and smaller bodies, typically found in soil and leaf litter.
Usage: plural form; singular is pauropod; zoology term; usually encountered in scientific or educational contexts
Examples
- Pauropods are tiny soil-dwelling arthropods that play a role in decomposition.
- Scientists studying soil ecosystems often examine pauropods under a microscope.
- Unlike centipedes, pauropods have fewer legs and are much smaller in size.
- Pauropods can be found in moist environments such as forest floors and gardens.
- The class Pauropoda includes hundreds of species of these miniature arthropods.